New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Tamar Red Bicolor’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Tamar Red Bicolor’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant growth habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; dark green-colored foliage; and large rounded light red and pink bi-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Tamar Red Bicolor’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Tamar Red Bicolor’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new Impatiens cultivars with largerounded flowers and attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2002 with a proprietary seedling selection of Impatienshawkeri, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Impatienshawkeri cultivar Harmony Spicy Peach, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The cultivar Tamar Red Bicolor was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in De Lier, TheNetherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in DeLier, The Netherlands since 2002, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tamar Red Bicolor’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Tamar Red Bicolor’ as a newand distinct Impatiens cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant        growth habit.    -   2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Large rounded light red and pink bi-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, TheNetherlands, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens and the female parent selection        differed in flower color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Harmony Spicy Peach. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Harmony Spicy Peach in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Harmony Spicy Peach.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Harmony Spicy Peach.

Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Tamar Candy Cane, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,344. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plantsof the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Tamar CandyCane in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens flowered later than plants of the        cultivar Tamar Candy Cane.    -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Tamar Candy Cane.    -   3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar Tamar Candy Dane        differed in flower coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Impatiens.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Tamar Red Bicolor’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowersof ‘Tamar Red Bicolor’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Tamar Red Bicolor have not been observed underall possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhatwith variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands, under commercialproduction practice in a glass-covered greenhouse during the summer.Rooted young plants were planted in 12-cm containers and theaforementioned photographs and following observations and measurementswere taken about ten weeks later. During the production of the plants,day and night temperatures averaged 20° C. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColorChart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Red    Bicolor.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri,            not patented.        -   Male parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Harmony Spicy Peach,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 5 to 7 days at 19 to            20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 6 to 8 days at 19 to            20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 19            days at 19 to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 14 to 21            days at 19 to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine; white to brown in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright, outwardly spreading and            uniformly mounded plant growth habit; freely branching            habit; bushy appearance; freely flowering. Moderately            vigorous.        -   Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about nine weeks are            required to produce finished flowering plants in 12-cm            containers.        -   Plant height.—About 19 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 39 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About seven. Length:            About 15 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About            4 cm. Strength: Moderate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster:            Slightly glossy. Color: 146C; above the nodes, 183B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Primarily in whorls with            about five leaves per whorl; simple. Length: About 10.5 cm.            Width: About 3.8 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper and            lower surfaces: Moderately glossy. Venation pattern:            Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 137B to            147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 183A. Fully            expanded foliage, upper surface: Much darker than 147A;            venation, 187B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 187B;            venation, 187B. Petiole: Length: About 2.7 cm. Diameter:            About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surface: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, upper surface: 185B to 185C. Color, lower            surface: 187C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single, rounded, light red            and pink bi-colored flowers. Freely and continuously            flowering; usually about 20 flowers per lateral branch.            Flowers positioned just above the foliage; flowers typically            face upright to outward, typically parallel to the leaf            canopy. Petals are persistent; gynoecium persistent. Flowers            not fragrant.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the plant.        -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In            the garden, plants flower from the spring throughout the            summer.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: Between 51B and 183B.        -   Flower diameter.—About 6.2 cm.        -   Flower depth (excluding spur).—About 2 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: Banner            petals: About 2.5 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 2.9 cm.            Width: Banner petal: About 4.2 cm. Lateral and base petals:            About 3.5 cm. Shape: Banner petal: Reniform. Lateral and            base petals: Broadly obcordate. Apex: Banner petal: Rounded            to shallowly retuse. Lateral and base petals: Emarginate.            Base, all petals: Attenuate. Margin, all petals: Entire.            Texture, all petals, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; satiny. Color: When opening, banner petal, upper            surface: Central splotch, 40A; towards the margins, 56B.            When opening, lateral and base petals, upper surface: 56B;            central stripes, 40A. When opening, banner petals, lower            surface: 43A; towards the margins, 48A. When opening,            lateral and base petals, lower surface: 41C; central            stripes, 45C. Fully opened, banner petal, upper surface:            Central splotch, 40B to 40C; towards the margins, 56C. Fully            opened, lateral and base petals, upper surface: 56C; central            stripes, 40C. Fully opened, banner petal, lower surface:            43A; towards the margins, 48A; colors becoming closer to 56C            and 41C with development. Fully opened, lateral and base            petals, lower surface: 41C; central stripes, 45C.        -   Spur.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Aspect:            Curved. Color, immature and mature: Towards the flower, 52B;            towards the apex, 55D.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Strength: Moderately strong,            flexible. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Color: 145B to            145C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused            at anthers, hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About            2 mm. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther color: 182D. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 158D. Gynoecium: Pistil            quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1 mm. Stigma            color: 187C. Style: Not visible. Ovary: Five-celled. Ovary            color: 187A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been    observed to tolerate temperatures of about 10° C. to about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named‘Tamar Red Bicolor’, as illustrated and described.